Bale tipped as Premier League's most valuable star

Tottenham winger Gareth Bale would command the biggest transfer fee in the Premier League should he be sold, according to former-England international turned pundit Jamie Redknapp.

The Spurs winger has blossomed into one of the league's most exciting players since his move from Southampton, and Redknapp believes he's up there with the most valuable players in world football.

Still just 23-years-old, Bale would be one of the most valuable stars by virtue of his young age, giving the buying club some resale value, and his unique talent.

Redknapp, who played at Southampton while Bale was training with the club's youth academy, said he recognised the Welshman's abilities straight away.

"When he first came on the scene we all realised straight away that he was someone with talent and now he's an incredible athlete too; he can sprint, he's got endurance, he's strong, he's over six foot…If you were to create the perfect physique for a footballer he wouldn't' be too far away," Redknapp wrote in his Sky Sports column.

"If the Premier League was an open market, with every player for sale, he'd fetch the biggest fee, without a doubt."

But, the Welsh winger would have some competition in this hypothetical market sell-off. If every Premier League player was suddenly up for sale, would Gareth Bale really command the highest fee?

Manchester City stars David Silva and Sergio Aguero would certainly run him close. At 26 and 24 respectively, the City playmakers are approaching the peak of their careers, and both are already among the Premier League's best players.

Proven in the England and Spain, the Manchester City duo would likely fetch fees north of £40m - Aguero was only bought for £38m by the Etihad Stadium club last summer.

Across town, Wayne Rooney at Manchester United deserves a place in the debate. The 26-year-old, like Gareth Bale, is a unique talent - there are few players on the planet that combine his measured technique was a bull-like physique and Rooney's relentless work ethic. But Bale's highly-regarded by Barcelona and Real Madrid, and his transfer premium could be bumped above Rooney's by this very fact.

At Arsenal, there are precious few contenders, and instead Arsene Wenger, not for the first time, places his side's hopes in the promise of a young teenager.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, another Southampton graduate, joined the Gunners for around £12m, and if he fulfils his potential at the Emirates Stadium, could soon be one of the most valuable players in the Premier League.

Capable of playing out wide, or through the middle, the 18-year-old already has England caps, and a first England goal in the recent 5-0 victory over San Marino. His potential is huge, and Arsenal will hope their Southampton investment will pay off to the same extent as their north London rivals.

Following their summer spending spree, Roberto Di Matteo has some of the game's most exciting young talent. 20-year-old Brazil star Oscar, and 21-year-old Belgium sensation Eden Hazard were bought by Chelsea for £25m and £32m respectively, and the duo could one day lay claim to being the league's most valuable player.

But, for now their potential remains largely unfulfilled, and the likes of Gareth Bale, David Silva, and Sergio Aguero are on a different level. So Jamie Redknapp may just be right.

Wanted by Real Madrid and Barcelona, we could soon found out his market value. Right now, it's difficult to tell, almost impossible to weigh up the relative merits of Bale versus Aguero versus Rooney.

But the Welshman is right up there as one of the most valuable, he's the right age, with a special ability almost unique to the game. The biggest fee in the Premier League though? That's always more likely to go to a striker or a forward.

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